The ease of Jordan Morris’ first Major League Soccer goal was at odds with the building anxiety preceding it.
In the 71st minute of Seattle’s 2-1 win over 10-man Philadelphia on Saturday night at CenturyLink Field, Sounders midfielder Andreas Ivanschitz swooped in a curling pass that Morris knocked down with his chest. The rookie forward poked the bouncing ball past Union goalkeeper Andre Blake with a deft touch, one of those blink-of-an-eye goals that has the stadium double-checking the scoreboard.
It was only in the celebration that Morris revealed the emotion bubbling beneath the surface. He’d gone seven competitive professional games without a goal, and he wheeled away in the wake of his first with a leaping, screaming fist pump.